Self-locking carton and packing



l 1937. M. KOPPELMAN I SELF LQCKING CARTON AND PACKING Filed Dec. 6, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT OR.

ATTORNEY.

M. KOPPELMAN 2,093,280

SELF LOCKING CARTON AND PACKING Sept. 14, 1937.

Filed Der e, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a n INVENTOR.

7!: E 7: z 1 Z r I ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE Claims.

or wrapping and also all tying or fastening means, such as cord, hooks or clasps, and saving the time and expense involved in the use of these.

Heretofore it has been the practice to pack eggs .and other fragile articles in boxes or cartons having fillers inside to receive, separate and protect the said articles, and to close such cartons by means of hooks, latches or the like either formed of the material of which the carton is made or of metal, or by Wrapping the carton in strong paper or a paper bag and/or tie it with a cord. But even when the carton is made of stiff paper board the closures formed of the carton material are insecure and likely to yield or break and permit the carton to open and spill its contents, and where an outer wrapping or metallic fasteners or a cord are used the expense to the vendor of the articles in materials or time or both is considerable and substantially increases the cost to the consumer or reduces. the vendors profit.

When the cartons or carriers are made by the pulp sucking process and have article holding and protecting means integral therewith, the sheet material of which they are thus'formed is too pliant and too easily fractured to permit of the formation of dependable fastening means integral therewith and of any known form. Many attempts have been made to provide such'a fastening, but so far as can be ascertained they have all been unsuccessful, and no form of fastening has heretofore been devised which can be made integral with the carrier in the pulp sucking process and will providea secure closure.

, It will be understood that cartons or carriers can be made by the pulp sucking process in one molding operation thereby saving the labor and other cost involved in the fabrication of such an article from sheet material and at the same time provide a. very efficient protective carton or cardelivery carton and will be self locking, thus do ing away with the necessity for an outer carton 23, 1932, granted to me. The present improvements relate primarily to cartons of this character and of similar character made by the pulp sucking or molding process. It is customary to make such cartons of a size to hold one dozen eggs, with the egg pockets or cells arranged in two rows of six each. Such a. carton has been chosen for the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings and referred to herein.

. In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an egg carton embodying'the improvements;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross section of the carton shown in Fig. 1 closed, substantially on the line 2-2 in that figure;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modification; v

Fig. 4 is a front view of the embodiment of Fig. 1 slightly modified and on the same scale as Fig. 1, showing the carton in closed position, whereasin Fig. 1 it is shown partly open;

Fig. 5 is a plan of the embodiment of Fig. 4 showing the carton in open position, as it appears when it comes from the mold;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section of locking members and adjacent parts.-

The weight of eggs is relatively great, and as cartons and other devices in which they are sold to the consumer and carried must be of relatively light material, due to the cost of manufacture and raw materialsand transportation costs, the problem of providing a marketable container in which these heavy fragile articles can be safely carried and handled is a difiicult one. The problem of securing the carrier against accidental opening, without using wrapping paper, .twine or metal fastenings or an extra outer carton is also se-' rious, and in carriers made of molded pulp has heretofore so far as can be ascertained remained unsolved. By the present improvements a locking device which not onlytakes advantage of the weight of the eggs and their pressure against the walls of the carton is provided but one which may be easily secured and opened by a simple manipulation. At the same time the closure is such that it will secure the carton in closed position and maintain it in such position against all ordinary shocks and strains due to carrying and handling. It is also of such a character that it can be made complete in the single operation of molding the carton, and without any additional cutting, pressing or other operation. I

In the said drawings, l-representsthe bottom and 2 the top section of an egg carton, these two the . section s being joined along one edge by a hinge 3 'IO and II.

extremities as shown at 8 and 9, while the extre'mities opposite the cups are fiat, as shown at These flat portions I0 and II provide a secure base upon which the carton may rest and also afford a surface which may be used for printing names, dates, or other matter, if desired. The portions 8 and 9, being arched, tend to strengthen the top and bottom of the carton and also afford a grip for the fingers, when the carton is handled.

. edges 20 of the aperture I9 will tend to bite into out easily (see Fig. 6).

-.In the form of Figs. 1 and 2, a continuous flap I2 rims along the outer longitudinal edge of the upper section 2 and is connected therewith by a hinge I3 formed of a narrow strip of material running between the said section and the flap with a weak line along its center. The flap is molded in open position and extending from the body of the carton in a substantially horizontal plane, as are also the short, separate flaps of the modified form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, so that the first user can on closing the carton on the hinge member 3 turn the flap in to a position substantially at right angles to its original position and slip itinside the outer forward wall of the bottom section I. This flap is not fiat, but is provided with alternate curved portions I5 and relatively flat portions I5 throughout its length, approximating the alternated cups and connect ing portions 4 and 6 in contour, but approaching the planiform slightly, so that when forced in between the eggs and their cups and inside the connecting-portions 6 it will be placed under tension and distorted slightly, causing substantial frictional coaction tending to hold it in this position. This frictional coaction is also increased by the tendency of the fiap to return to its original position which causes it to press outwardly against the inner wall of the lower carton section and causing its button members to be constantly pressed through the apertures in said section.

The flap I2 is provided with a series of button members I 6 projecting therefrom, and formed therein in the molding operation. Each of these button members has an inclined face I I and an abrupt face I8, and the abrupt face is preferably made thinner than the inclined face, so that the it and prevent the button member from slipping I These button members may have any serviceable form, but the form shown has been found effective and satisfactory, since it facilitates the insertion of the fiap inside the wall of the bottom section, by reason of its be eled lower portion, snaps into the apertures I9, and holds the flap against withdrawal, by reason of the abrupt face I8. The apertures III are also formed in'theoperation of molding the carton, and may have any satisfactory form. In the embodiment shown they are substantially oblong rectangles, corresponding in size and shape to the base of the button members I6, and just large enough to receive the said members and permit them to project therethrough and beyond the wall of the carton section, in which position they are held by the outward pressure of the flap and the pressure of the eggs in the ad jacent cells against it. It will be seen that as the flap I2 is iorcedin between the eggs and the section and the eggs in its pockets.

walls of the lower cups and below the greatest.

horizontal diameter of both, there will be a substantial gripping of the flap which will prevent it from being easily withdrawn and assist the buttons and apertures in holding it and the sections of the carton securely closed.

a The apertures I9 are preferably holes extending through the front wall of the lower carton section, but maybe relatively deep recesses or indentations. Such a recess is shown at 2I in Fig. 4. The form shown in Fig. 1, however, has been found desirable not only because it provides relatively sharp edges to engage the button members but because it can be produced in the molding operation by inserting an imperforate piece of sheet metal in the wire mesh of which the molding form is usually made, so that no pulp adhenes to the form at that point and an opening is left. The weak portion of the abrupt face I8 of the button may be produced by having the mesh of the screen molding form closer at that point than elsewhere, and thus causing the deposit of a thinner layer of pulp fibres thereon.

In the modified form of Figs. 4 and 5,.instead of having a continuous flap along the outer edge of the upper carton section two separate flaps 22 and 23 are employed, each with a button member I5 thereon, and two apertures I9 in line therewith are provided in the forward outer wall of the lower section; otherwise the construction is the same. It will be understood that more than two of these fiaps may be employed, and

"that the apertures may be in. the flaps and the button members in the wall, if such an arrangement can be manufactured to advantage.

In the modification of Fig-3, the upper carton section is made in two parts 24 and 25, each hinged to an outer longitudinal edge of the lower section. In this case each upper part is provided at its outer edge with a flap 2'! similar to 22 and 23 or I2, and having substantially the same contour. In this case an effective closure is provided without the employment of the button and socket devices I6, I9, as the flaps are forced inbetween the inner walls 28 and 29 of the bottom and socket or aperture arrangement may, however, be employed in this modification, andfor some purposes the said arrangement may be omitted in the form shown in Fig.1, and the The button frictional coaction between the flap and the wall and pocketed articles depended on to hold the flap and maintain the closure.

In the use of the device, the eggs or other articles are first placed in the pockets of the lower section and the upper section folded thereover, or otherwise placed thereon, so that its pockets register with the pockets of the lower section andform cells for the said articles. When the flap or flaps of the upper section have their outer edges at the upper edges of the lower section they are pressed inwardly so that their said outer edges enter inside the said upper edge. The top orpcover section is then pressed home, forcing the flap or flaps down andbetween the eggs and the lower walls of their cells and causing, the button members to snap into the apertureswhere said button members and apertures are employed. To open the carton it is only necessary to press with one finger against the top of the wall which is engaged by the flap, push it outward slightly and, pull quickly on the upper section adjacent the flap.

Various modifications in the construction and arrangement shown and described may be made aooaceo 3 without departing from the scope of the present mally projecting beyond the other section when invention, two of the most important features of said first section is superposed, said extension bewhich reside in the construction and arrange ing adapted to be passed into the other. section ment whereby the weight and pressure of the between the wall of an article-receiving and artiarticles in the carton are employed in part to cle contacting recess of said other section and an 5 hold the closure and whereby the entire carton article in said recess, whereby said two sections and its locking means may be made in a single are secured together in closed article-containing molding operation. I position, said extension and wall having one of The molding operation employed is the usual iillem a p e for receiving butten me pulp sucking method of molding in which the r n t th r, a abutt n m mb r p j t n 10 foraminous forms are passed through a bath of from the other and integral therewith, d 6 pulp fibres, with their outer surfaces exposed to ed and arranged to enga Said -p at said bath, while suction is maintained on the a Point in e P e of 8' portion Of S i articleopposite side of saidforms to draw the fibres In a device of the character indicated. it against the forms and cause them to form a film -P QfibIOUS heet comprising a pluor sheet thereon. The forms are then removed rality of Sections having article-receiving c e from the bath, with these molded sheets thereon, therein, one f said sections d pt d t be pla ed and the sheets then removed and dried. The carupon the Other '6 form hOllOW Container, an

tens ca ie embodying the present improveextension on one edge of one of said sections norments may however be made by. other methods, many Projecting y d he Other section when such as certain paper k g th in which said first section is superposed, said extension bethe pulp is sprayed or flowed on to the plates, ing adapted to be passed into the other section d in which suction may or may not be between the wall of an article-receiving and artip10yed t t method. or pmess referred cle contacting recess of said other section and an h i i th t em ient and satj fact ry article in said recess, whereby said two sections t d heretofor practiced for n are secured together in closed article-containing ture of non-planiform sheets of fibres, andthe o ion, Said extension and wall having one of construction and arrangement embodying the imthem an aperture for receiving a bu on m mber (provements has peculiar advantages in connecon the other, and a t n member projecting 'ti'on with the practice of the same, while the said from the other and integral therewith, d eonmethod or process has a peculiar relation to the structeqland arranged to engage said p u bodying Such improve, at a point in the plane of a portion of said articartons or carriers em ments I cie, and said button member having an inclined Instead of providing the. abrupt face of the ward the Puter edge of the extensionb tt member t a weak, yielding portion it In a packing device for fragile articles comrein, fo m d in prising a fibrous sheet having article-engaging may have an aperture the ner similar to the aperture l9, and this apertureformations therein and adapted to receive and or the weak portion--may extend slightly into old such articles, there being an aperture inone the adjacent sides thereof, as indicated by dotted slde of Sheet projection in the er ide lines at l8 in Fig. 6, and instead of inserting an M the Sheet adapted to engage in Said aperture 40 impart-crate piece f metal in the foraminous to secure the sides of the sheet together, said-promold or form the small intersticesof the form jection having a face adapted to engage an edge alder 0r brazing ofsaid aperture and a non-resisting portion at may be filled or closed up by s or in other manner where the apertures are to said face adapted when the sides of the sheet are formed. ,Various other modifications in or Subjected to separating in to permit said edge equivalents f r the parts described and the to enter'beneath the top of said projection and method of producing the same may be employed portions of the 'against relative without departing from the scope of the invenlateral mWementmom g a 5. In a device .0! the character indicated, a

what 1 claim on-planiform fibrous sheet having article-re- 1. In a device of the-character indicated, a caving cempaltments herein. a second sheet non-planiform, fibrous sheet comprising a pluadapted to be Plaeed p n he fir t sheet to close mhty of sections having article-receiving recesses the same and form a hollow container, a curved therein, one of said sections adapted to be placed extension on the second sheet rmally projectupon' the other to form a hollow container, a ing beyond and Overlapping P 0f thefll'st curved extension on one edge of one of said secsheet en extending into least dne arti leflung normally, projecting beyond t t receiving compartmentthereof when the sheets tion when said first section is superposed and are in superposed relation and below the pp below the upper portion thereof, said extension Portion thereof. Said extension being a pted to being adapted to be passed into the other section pass w n we Of an r i -r ivi g c mbetween the .wall 0! an article-receiving and arti- D rtment and an article therein and p y .cie contacting recess of said other section and Death Said article, w r y i two sheetsmay an article in said recess and partly beneath said he Secured g e te o m 8- e esed container article, whereby said two sections are secured towith articles therein. the said extension and comgether in closed article-containing position. P ment Well being constructed to enga e each 2. In a device of the character indicated, a e Other an h x n i 0 exert Pressure w e non-planiiorm, fibrous sheet comprising 9. p111- said wall and the article, whereby the container rality ot-sections having article-receiving recesses is secured in closed condition by frictional cotherein, one of said sections adapted to be placed action between the parts. upon the other to form a hollow container, an extension on one edge of one of said sections nor- MORRIS KOPPEIMAN. 

